The morale of the soldiers is a scumbag in the face of absolute strength. The stronger the morale, the easier it is to die.
It's a pity that the Song Dynasty really couldn't have the absolute strength to face the Northern Liao Dynasty. Although Gongfang City has never slacked off in recent years, the basic progress of science and technology has been slow, which has led to the development of firearms reaching a bottleneck.
For example, the rate of fire and range of muskets are still not comparable to those of bows and arrows. The reason why the Song Dynasty had an advantage was more in the platooning of guns and the combination of various crossbows and various gunpowder launchers. To put it bluntly, it is
A kind of coordinated operation.
There is a gap, but it is not an absolute gap. This also makes Bei Liao feel that it has the strength to fight. In particular, the first battle between the two sides was when Bei Liao penetrated deep into the Song Dynasty's defense line and defeated them five to two.
The loss ratio ended. This made Bei Liao feel that the firearms of the Song Dynasty were just like that.
This was also the basis for the Northern Liao emperor's personal expedition.
The imperial court of the Song Dynasty also cooperated, as if they really cared about the effect of the imperial commander's personal expedition on the morale of the soldiers.
Dozens of carriages, just like transporting military equipment as usual, headed north from Bianliang and along the track... This was the team of the Song Dynasty imperial commander.
The prince stayed behind, leaving Su Song in charge of armaments, Xue Xiang in charge of logistics, Han Zhen in charge of civil affairs, Wang Shao in charge of military affairs, and the rest of the cabinet accompanied the officials to the north.
Even veterans such as Di Qing and Zhong Jia, as well as veteran ministers like Wen Yanbo, also went north with them.
In the Song Dynasty, it was indeed not a simple matter for the imperial commander to personally conquer, and it was not even the same as in the Northern Liao Dynasty. This was almost like the imperial court moved northward...
"Report to the official family, Marshal Zhong is waiting for you twenty miles away from the clear river..."
This is not the first time that the messengers have reported. Ever since they left the original border of the Song Dynasty, the commanders from all walks of life have not stopped reporting, reporting almost every ten miles.
"This is a personal expedition! It's not that I haven't been willing to do it in person these years, but I'm worried that if I do it in person, it will disrupt the entire front line arrangement. Zizheng... your nephew is very worried about you escorting me...
······”
"Officials, this is the front line. It is a normal reaction of a loyal lord for soldiers to pay more attention to the safety of officials..."
What the official said was obviously inconsistent with the expression on his face. Zhong Jia still understood it, so naturally he didn't take it seriously. The explanation still needed to be explained.
"Officials, the court still needs to plan the battle ahead, otherwise it will be chaos?"
Wen Yanbo was invited to witness the glorious moment of regaining Yanyun. In addition, he was already at an age where he had no taboos, so he spoke much more freely than when he was in power.
"Mr. Wen, that's not right. Mr. Wen once led the military affairs. Do you really like to be told what to do by the court? The court lived in a temple, and no one saw the battlefield with their own eyes. They only pictured the battlefield in their minds based on the reports.
How can we accurately judge the battlefield situation?"
"The only people who understand the situation of the war are those who are on the battlefield. I am sure that those of you who have been commanders are tired of the imperial court dictating the war. Since this is common and all commanders are tired of it, this should not happen anymore."
"The strategy needs to be formulated by the imperial court, and it is correct to leave the specific tactics to the soldiers at the front. Order: All armies will fight according to the established strategy, no reports are needed!"
"I am purely here to accompany the Liao Emperor in opera this time. I am afraid that he will be lonely..."
I don’t know whether it was because he had not left the palace for a long time and had the opportunity to go out for a walk this time, or because the battle situation made Zhao Xi happy. Anyway, Zhao Xi was quite happy along the way.
Even when he saw the unsmooth management in the refugee camp, he passed it by without blaming the officials... They were all refugees. They were probably satisfied with just having food to eat. Who dared to expect more?
.
It can't be compared with the wounded barracks. Even those who go to the wounded barracks to work in the refugee camps need to be thoroughly cleansed before entering the wounded barracks. This has also affected the refugee camps. Although there are some oversights in management, at least they are kept clean.
When Zhao Xi arrived at the wounded barracks, the soldiers who were slightly injured were howling and wanting to go to the battlefield again... The king is really effective in boosting morale!
Morale is available, but several coaches have not been influenced by this almost restless morale in their tactical arrangements.
Northern Liao retreated and even gave up Fan Yang. All Liao troops retreated to Liangxiang, Miaoyin and other areas around the Gaoliang River. They seemed to want to reenact the Battle of Gaoliang River during the reign of Emperor Taizong...
Not to mention the various reasons for the original defeat at Gaolianghe, the army of the Song Dynasty at this time was completely different from the army of the early years.
Although the Liao army retreated and abandoned many cities, the Song army did not be tempted by the cities ahead and continued to advance step by step according to the strategic deployment.
The land that the chariots could not clear, the Fan cavalry, in units of five hundred, constantly searched and moved forward to ensure that no more Liao cavalry would appear behind the army. This was almost a carpet-like advance...
This is also because the officials are at the rear of the army, and the front army has to advance slowly to ensure the safety of the officials.
This was the original strategy, but more cautious.
The front line was no longer waiting, but the reports continued. Zhao Xi understood the current situation of the battle very well. Although it seemed like a passive advance tactic, Zhao Xi actually saw the benefits of such a steady advance.
Zhong Jia was a little impatient, and Guo Kui also looked worried, but this involved the safety of the official family, and he couldn't blame the army ahead.
"Don't worry, I agree with this way of advancement."
"Officials, it is already midsummer. If the war does not advance smoothly and the war continues into winter, the country will only be able to recover Yanyun this time."
Zhang Dun understood the officials' ambitions and knew that after the war began, it would not just be limited to regaining Yanyun, but...
"Zihou, Liaodong, and even the desert, it is no longer in season this year. Even if we speed up the progress at this time, or speed up the advance from the beginning, it is still out of season to fight in the desert and Liaodong this year."
Liaodong and the desert, not Hebei Province or Yanyun, were absolutely unfamiliar places to the Song Dynasty court. Although the Imperial City Division has been collecting intelligence there over the years, it still cannot give people a comprehensive understanding.
There are too many differences from later generations, and Zhao Xi is not familiar with it. Therefore, it is impossible to win it in a short time. Once the war continues into winter, it will be difficult for the Song Dynasty army to adapt to fighting in a particularly cold climate.
"Recovering Yanyun, stabilizing Yanyun, and then moving northward based on Yanyun is a sound strategy."
Damo and Liaodong are different from Yanyun. They are very different. Whether it is different in the thinking of the court officials or the topography, it will inevitably lead to different combat methods and methods, which also determines the difference in strategy.
How to manage the desert and Liaodong after the recovery of Yanyun depends on the situation after the recovery of Yanyun. The Han people in the Yanyun area are on the one hand, the acceptance of Khitan troops is on the other, and the intricate forces in Liaodong are on the other hand.
On the one hand, this requires consideration.
I thought too much. I haven't captured Yanyun yet, but I have started planning to the north of Yanyun...